District 9 = WOW

[cheezydemon3]

HOLY PHUCK.

Halfway through, I was ready to throw in the towel.

SPOILER........

Just when I had decided that this movie was purely to make us humans feel bad about our militaristic, greedy, racist tendencies (of which I have none ), this movie goes all BAD ASS for a few minutes, throws in some twists, and ends up completely redeeming itself, with a barely off-happy ending.

Peter Jackson is a bad ass.

God bless WINGNUT.

Dead alive is forever THE horror gore classic.

*was that LIONEL in this starring role?????*

(of course I can google, but I like a good discussion more!!)

 

[ctufano]

I'm kinda with you on the movie. I was so excited to see it due to the crazy trailers and the website before the movie released.

I saw it and was not very happy with the first 3/4 of the movie -- it was too much like a news report, than the action movie it looked like it was suppose to be, and short-lived turned into

I still left a little disappointed since most of it wasnt as good as I was hoping :\

 

[Revvy]

Yeah it was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. I take it you're watching it on dvd? Hmmm If I weren't watching hockey I'd go out and grab it.

I really really really hope they do a sequal. Screw avatar, I liked it, but looooooved district 9 much better, it's intelligent, as opposed to the blockbuster action thing that avatar was. You can really pick up on the anti apartheid theme in it.

There was a discussion when it first came out.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f19/district-9-a-132550/

I'm thinking thanks to you, at some point this weekend I'll rent it.

 

[Airborneguy]

Me and my wife actually hated it. I am a huge Sci Fi/Horror fan, and am not at all shy to artistic license, but since the movie was obviously trying to point out humanity's racism/militarism/capitalism (the global security company), then I must say that they took some huge liberties in using the alien route which weren't even close to real life.

Without going into a crazy rant, I'll just point out my biggest complaint:

If an alien civilization just landed on Earth, and so happened to do it in a country which couldn't adequately handle their presence, the larger nations of the world would definitely not allow them to hire a private company to handle everything! If you want to make a movie blatantly trying to deride Halliburton, you gotta do it in at least a half-assed believable way! Their reasoning wasn't even close. They're gonna try to pass off on me the notion that the US, Russia, China, England, France, Brazil, Canada (am I leaving any super powers out?), just said, "Nah, we'll pass on this one, go ahead and hire company XYZ (aka Halliburton)?

Ridiculous. The movie sucked.

 

[Revvy]

If an alien civilization just landed on Earth, and so happened to do it in a country which couldn't adequately handle their presence, the larger nations of the world would definitely not allow them to hire a private company to handle everything! If you want to make a movie blatantly trying to deride Halliburton, you gotta do it in at least a half-assed believable way!

Ridiculous. The movie sucked.

Actually if you know anything about the history of South Africa under apartheid, you would know that PMC's WERE in use during that time. Since the film was made in SA, and most folks ackowledge that the filM IS about apartheid in South Africa, you would see possibly that Haliburton wasn't their target. And maybe see the film in a different light.

From THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF SOUTH AFRICA'S PRIVATE SECURITY INDUSTRY

The private security industry in South Africa began developing during the 1980s due to a number of factors – the rise of insecurities associated with apartheid activities; the apartheid state’s willingness to accept the security industry as an adjunct to the state police; and the apartheid state’s attempts to professionalise the industry through the enactment of various pieces of legislation.

 

[Airborneguy]

If it was about apartheid, then so be it, but still, the movie sucked. It was so clearly a movie with a political message that for us it was not even close to enjoyable. And even more so, if apartheid was the message, why go the sci-fi route and leave so many gaping holes? My point about the large nations of the world is still valid. Even having a very sci-fi/fantasy oriented open mind, the story was completely unbelievable to me.

 

[Revvy]

If it was about apartheid, then so be it, but still, the movie sucked. It was so clearly a movie with a political message that for us it was not even close to enjoyable. And even more so, if apartheid was the message, why go the sci-fi route and leave so many gaping holes? My point about the large nations of the world is still valid. Even having a very sci-fi/fantasy oriented open mind, the story was completely unbelievable to me.

District 9 is a science fiction thriller film released in 2009, directed by Neill Blomkamp. It was written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, and produced by Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham. The film stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope and David James. Copley plays the role of Wikus van de Merwe,[3] an Afrikaner bureaucrat assigned to relocate a race of extraterrestrial creatures unexpectedly stranded on Earth, derogatorily referred to as "prawns", from District 9, a military-guarded slum in Johannesburg, South Africa, to an internment camp outside the city. The movie was nominated for four Academy Awards in 2010, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, and Best Editing.[4]

The story, adapted from Alive in Joburg, a 2005 short film directed by Blomkamp and produced by Copley, pivots on the themes of xenophobia and social segregation. The title and premise of District 9 were inspired by events that took place in District Six, Cape Town during the apartheid era.

Meh, different strokes for different folks, evidently the OP and I loved it.

 

[Airborneguy]

I just couldn't rectify the idea that an entire alien civilization could land on our planet and be allowed to stay like that, without a massive, worldwide response. Hell, I wrote and published a sci-fi book about a time machine and still can't figure out a way to make it believable. The whole premise made no sense to me.

 

[Chudz]

For me, this was a story about character development. Yes, I see the overtones of apartheid in it, etc. However, it's the transformation, both figurative and literal, in Wikus's character that hits home.

I guess I'm a sucker for transformation, think Clint Eastwood's character in Unforgiven. You start with a rancher who transforms back into the cold-blooded killer that he once was. Or for that matter, what about Gran Torino? A man stuck with 1950's biases outgrows them and ultimately gives up his fading life for what he's found.

In District 9's main character, you have the fundamental change of beliefs through exigent circumstances. And I enjoyed watching his horrific metamorphosis.

Just my take, however.

 

[northernlad]

Me and my wife actually hated it. I am a huge Sci Fi/Horror fan, and am not at all shy to artistic license, but since the movie was obviously trying to point out humanity's racism/militarism/capitalism (the global security company), then I must say that they took some huge liberties in using the alien route which weren't even close to real life.

Without going into a crazy rant, I'll just point out my biggest complaint:

If an alien civilization just landed on Earth, and so happened to do it in a country which couldn't adequately handle their presence, the larger nations of the world would definitely not allow them to hire a private company to handle everything! If you want to make a movie blatantly trying to deride Halliburton, you gotta do it in at least a half-assed believable way! Their reasoning wasn't even close. They're gonna try to pass off on me the notion that the US, Russia, China, England, France, Brazil, Canada (am I leaving any super powers out?), just said, "Nah, we'll pass on this one, go ahead and hire company XYZ (aka Halliburton)?

Ridiculous. The movie sucked.

Well, it is after all a MOVIE, which by definition lacks a certain factual and realistic basis.
Secondly, if you did not live in a nation that prides itself in playing big brother and lived, say, in a nation that has had actual struggles of any kind then it might ring a little truer to you.

 

[jkarp]

For me, the biggest logical flaw was the guns. If you had serious whoop-ass guns that ONLY your alien-ass hands could use, would you REALLY give them up for Fancy Feast? Or, would you simply go on a whoop-ass rampage at Wal-Mart and get all the Fancy Feast you wanted?

And yes, I've heard the argument that the aliens were too stupid to grasp that concept, but CLEARLY some were smart. Just seems to me they could've (should've) changed the game entirely, but then District 9 would have been yet another typical alien invasion movie. FAIL.

 

[cheezydemon3]

For me, the biggest logical flaw was the guns. If you had serious whoop-ass guns that ONLY your alien-ass hands could use, would you REALLY give them up for Fancy Feast? Or, would you simply go on a whoop-ass rampage at Wal-Mart and get all the Fancy Feast you wanted?

And yes, I've heard the argument that the aliens were too stupid to grasp that concept, but CLEARLY some were smart. Just seems to me they could've (should've) changed the game entirely, but then District 9 would have been yet another typical alien invasion movie. FAIL.

Cheers Revvy, sorry, I've been tied up.

Too stupid???

If the aliens used their super guns on us, effective as they were, we would have nuked them back.

ESPECIALLY since it was in a third world country, "collateral" damage would have been regretable, but inevitable, and justified, in repelling the alien horde.

The fact that such unusual choices were made, that the lead was such a deuche (and continued to be so, even long after he started to change) that he didn't make it to the mother ship, but that it wasn't exactly the unhappy ending that would have been so predictable ======EPIC WIN.

And the alien weapons were so much more bad ass than anything arnold or sly or dolph or (puke) nicholas cage (who is evidently an action star?!?!????WTF) or chuck freaking norriss (deuch supreme) ever touched.

Give me a break. WIN WIN WIN.

 

[Bru]

I thought it was great.
Whats funny was the "official response" from the Nigerian goverment - they complained about the crooks being Nigerian. Of course the ringleaders name was the same as the Nigerian presidents
BTW - the leader actor ("Wikus") had no prior acting experience.
Also - Revvy is correct re security companies here - they're still used for all sorts of tasks - believe it or not some police stations are guarded by private security guards. Most houses (mine included) has an armed reaction service (triggered by remote alarm/panic button) supplied by private security. Mass evictions (ala District 9) are also handled by private security companies (called The Red Ants from their red uniforms).

 

[cheezydemon3]

The nigerians were cast in a bad light....of course (working for a bank) almost all really vicious scams seem to come from nigeria and canada.

 

[jkarp]

If the aliens used their super guns on us, effective as they were, we would have nuked them back.

Yes, because they were SO effective in Independence Day.

ESPECIALLY since it was in a third world country, "collateral" damage would have been regretable, but inevitable, and justified, in repelling the alien horde.

All of SA as acceptable "collateral damage". That's about as believable as Fancy Feast addiction.

I still say the movie was enjoyable but such simple plot holes was horribly sloppy.

 

[cheezydemon3]

......Sorry.....I lost track when you referred to "Independance day" as credible.....

Will Smith.....Jeff Goldblum,.........hmmmmm.......OK special effects, aliens.......plot holes I could drive the mothership through.........